My husband thinks I'm crazy....and you probably will too

Dear Charlotte,

I don't really know what's gotten into me, but I got this idea and now Ben thinks I've gone off the deep end. Maybe I have, I don't know. So I was thinking, why don't we use cloth diapers on this new baby? Not the takes-20-minutes-to-fold-them-and-have-to-be-careful-not-to-stick-your-kid-with-a-pin cloth diapers of years ago, but modern cloth diapers. Did you know they make cloth diapers now that are practically like disposables? Diapers like bumGenius and Mommy's Touch and Kissaluvs. I think I'm even open to doing plain old prefolds with covers sometimes. There are several reasons I've been considering this, like:
1 - Even to buy the nice ones, it is cheaper than using the cheap disposables. (Although it's an up-front cost instead of spread over the months and years) Plus, if you have more children, the cost is even lower because you can use many of the same diapers and products.
2 - It's better for the environment.
3 - It's better for the baby. It's crazy how many harmful chemicals there are in disposable diapers. I was amazed at the things I learned when I started looking into it. Seriously - google it and see for yourself.
4 - For some reason, it doesn't sound that bad! =)

Ben thinks I couldn't handle cleaning the poop off, but guess what? I have to wipe the poop off the kid's butt anyway, right? And you can hook this sprayer thing - basically like a vegetable sprayer for the kitchen sink - up to the plumbing on your toilet. No dunking, just spray it off and wash them every couple of days! And if you're out and about, use a flushable liner and whala! the mess goes down the john!

See? I knew you'd think I'm crazy! So now's your chance to make your opinion known - take the poll on the side of my blog to let me know if I have really lost it or not!

Update

Dear Charlotte,

In case you were wondering, my mother did get the stuff out of the basement in time for the carpet layers. I should have remembered months ago that she HAS to have a deadline to get anything done. But we didn't get the carpet in yet. The layers showed up and were like, "Are you sure you're ready for carpet? It looks like you're still in the middle of construction." I mentioned that I had hoped to get the painting done before it went in. So they laid the carpet in the room I already painted and cut all of the pieces for the rest of the basement. They'll come back sometime next week to do the rest. I'm supposed to get a call when they find out when they can come. This means I have at most, 5 days and at least 2 1/2 to get the painting done. And the mudding and taping of the new wall (where the shower used to be). And the mudding of the wall we destroyed when we pulled the corkboard down. (For those who don't know, my mother had one wall entirely covered in corkboard so she could hang things on the wall for her preschool. Of course, that didn't stop her from putting staples, tape and nails in all the other walls....)

Soooo if anyone feels like coming up and doing a little mudding, taping, painting, or babysitting this weekend, feel free. Heaven knows we could use the help.

Dear Charlotte,

I am going insane. And that's all I'm going to say about that.

A great man died last week. Today would have been his 70th birthday and so, although it isn’t much, I write this tribute to him. My husband’s father, Jonathan Edward Ray jr., was a man who knew what was important in life and lived accordingly. He didn’t have much, but what he did have he gave away. He was one of the most selfless people I have ever known, always concerned for the needs and happiness of others. There were no strangers in his life because, within minutes of meeting one, he became a friend. One of my all-time favorite books is Mitch Albom’s tuesdays with Morrie. It is a book about life and what is important. This quote from the book defines Jon’s life perfectly. “Devote yourself to loving others, devote yourself to your community around you, and devote yourself to creating something that gives you purpose and meaning.” He did just that. He was the kind of man others would turn to with their problems because he could listen. He also knew a great deal about a great many topics. In his life he served in the Navy, sold insurance, studied aromatherapy, counseled veterans, ran at least 4 restaurants, brought the Montana State BBQ competition to his hometown and did many other things. But most important to him were his God and his family. And so he knew the ins and outs of life and could counsel well. He was also a man who was not afraid to change when he knew he was wrong. Yes, he made mistakes in life as we all do, but he also did what it took to overcome them. We can all learn a lot from his life and he will be dearly missed. Again, from tuesdays with Morrie, this is for you, Jon. “As long as we can love each other, and remember the feeling of love we had, we can die without ever really going away. All the love you created is still there. All the memories are still there. You live on – in the hearts of everyone you have touched and nurtured while you were here.” In Jon’s case, that was many, many hearts.

Who knew what a fabulous weekend it would be? Ben and I came up to Park City to visit Grandma and Grandpa during General Conference. I am coming away from this weekend with much to think about and much to improve upon. I love my husband and my children deeply, but I do not always show them so. Lately I've been rather selfish in my actions and I've felt rather like my friend Mel's blog - Lost, but still wandering! I love General Conference. It gives me direction and helps me to find myself again. I love to take the time to step back and evaluate where I am in my life and where I want to be. The words of the leaders of the church always help me to do this. Oy! It is a bit overwhelming, but a good kind of overwhelming.

My Hair

I got my hair chopped off today. I was going to grow it long, but then yesterday I started to think about cutting it. I woke up this morning and thought, "Ben doesn't have to go to work today - what a perfect day to get my hair cut!" And so I did. I'm always nervous when I get my hair cut, because I always wait until it's pretty long and then I cut it pretty short and it's hard to get rid of all of that hard-earned length! BUT, today is the first time in a long time that I have been so happy with the results on the day it's cut. I LOVE IT! And I love the great job Becky from JC Penny did. If you want to get your hair cut or anything - see Becky at JC Penny, because she's fantastic! I'll have to get a picture posted when I take one. Who knew I could be so excited about a haircut?